Integrated Fluid Delivery and Glucose Sensor Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional diabetes treatment systems require separate installations of insulin delivery and glucose monitoring devices, leading to multiple needle penetrations, which are cumbersome and negatively impact user experience.
Innovation Solution
A fluid delivery device with integrated penetrating elements for both insulin delivery and glucose monitoring, allowing simultaneous or substantially simultaneous insertion of both elements into the patient, reducing the number of required needle penetration steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate insulin delivery and glucose monitoring devices are used, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but the patient requires multiple needle insertions and separate installation procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the insulin delivery device and glucose monitoring device into a single integrated system. The housing contains both the fluid delivery system with penetration element and the sensor device with its own penetration element, allowing both functions to be installed simultaneously through a single application process to the patient's body.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device serves multiple functions within a single unit: it can deliver insulin through the fluid delivery system, monitor glucose levels through the sensor device, and potentially perform other diabetes management functions. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate devices while maintaining optimal performance of each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate devices are installed on the patient, then comprehensive diabetes management is achieved, but the number of needle penetrations increases causing pain and negative user experience
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the insulin delivery and glucose monitoring functions into one device with a single housing, the patent reduces the number of needle penetrations from two separate procedures to one simultaneous procedure. Both penetration elements are inserted together during a single application, significantly reducing patient pain and improving user experience.
3Extent of automation
If two independent systems are used for insulin delivery and glucose monitoring, then each system can operate autonomously, but the installation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates both the fluid delivery system and sensor device into a single housing that can be applied to the patient's body as one unit. This simultaneous installation approach dramatically reduces installation time compared to applying two separate devices sequentially, while both systems maintain their autonomous operational capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for performing an insertion process for a plurality of penetrating elements are described. For example, a wearable fluid infusion device may include a cannula and/or needle for infusing a fluid into a patient and a sensor for sensing a physical characteristic of the patient. A non-limiting example of a fluid may be or may include insulin. An illustrative and non-restrictive example of a physical characteristic may include a blood glucose level. The wearable infusion device may be configured to facilitate insertion of the multiple penetrating elements, such as a cannula and a sensor, in a single simultaneous insertion step instead of requiring individual insertion steps for each of multiple penetrating elements. Other embodiments are described.